Unmasked
by Ecstasyyy
Summary: Klaulette fic. Kindly leave reviews.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1**

Charlotte Petrova hummed a tune as her mother did her hair. The Christmas festivities were still on-going but her family was poor and without title, which meant no invitations would land on their doorstep. The most important family in town was holding a masquerade and she badly wanted to attend. Rumour had it that the hosts often invited their footmen to the masquerade in hope that it might provide some entertainment at the unmasking. Say, if a lady flirted openly with one of the footman thinking him to be a rich lord, she would be greatly embarrassed when his identity, or lack thereof, was revealed. Her family had not enough money to send her to London for a season so this was her best chance at landing a titled man. She had to go. She shuddered at the thought of being found out.

_They will drain you of your blood. _

Kathleen had warned her about the danger when she had expressed her desire to attend the masquerade without an invitation and had asked to borrow a simple décolleté gown. It was not beautifully adorned but it would definitely attract some male attention, or so she hoped. In return, Kathleen had requested for some of her mother's berry pie. Now, standing in front of the mirror, her mother pulled the laces of her corset snug, helped her don the gown and applied rouge to her cheeks and lips.

Pulling her into an embrace, her mother gave her a last piece of advice, "If you are caught, get down on your knees and beg for your life. It's no use running from them. They fly faster than birds. Be careful, my dear."

She reassured her mother and left for the masquerade.

She sneaked in through the gardens. The first thing she noticed was the beautiful costumes, one especially. Lady Rebekah's costume was a short blood red satin dress and was easily recognizable because of the necklace she always wore around her neck. She was the host family's daughter and one of the creatures that terrified the night, but she mostly preyed on men. Vampires were not all evil though and most fed only when they had to. Those that could not control themselves were called rippers and they went on killing sprees, feeding even on the injured. Luckily, she did not know of any in town.

Just as she was admiring Lady Rebekah's costume, a man with his back facing her blocked her view. He was surrounded by many giggling debutantes and she could hear his voice, deep and sexy. She wondered what he had said to make the debutantes laugh like that and stepped a little closer so that she could hear the conversation. At that moment, he turned to take a champagne flute off a waiter's tray and locked gazes with her.

"Those stunning blue eyes..." she muttered.

She did not know how he heard her but in a flash, he was right in front of her.

"Do I know you?" he asked, reaching out a hand to caress her cheek before tilting her chin upwards to meet his.

"I... I do not think so, my lord."

He laughed, "Then we will get to know each other, sweetheart. Let's get some fresh air."

The giggling debutantes were now staring, some fuming and sulking because they no longer had his attention. She on the other hand could feel the butterflies in her stomach. She could not tell Lord Niklaus who she was or it could be the end of her for he would certainly know who was invited and who was not. But somehow, she was in a dazed state and her hand automatically found his and her body allowed him to lead her to the gardens.

He stopped short when they were in a quiet spot, bending his head down closer to hers. Closer to her neck. She couldn't move. She felt his soft lips on her neck and willed herself to scream but no sound came out. She prepared herself for the pain that would soon follow when he sank his fangs into her jugular and sucked her dry but instead he kissed her there and her heart started beating so hard it felt like it was pounding out of her chest. He could sense her fear. But everyone feared him, even those annoying debutantes.

She backed away, breathing hard. "I... I need to tell you something, my lord. I wasn't invited." she blurted, blushing red.

He had known when he had inhaled the scent of freshly baked berry pies.

Unbeknownst to her, he had often watched her collect berries for her mother in the woods. His step-father, Mikael, had always hated him because he was illegitimate but matters got worst when Henrik died and the blame fell to him. True, it was he who brought Henrik to the woods to watch the werewolves transform but how could he have known how dangerous they were. He still blamed himself for Henrik's death. Mikael did not know that the werewolves only transformed on full moons and thus, completely avoided going to the woods. The woods became his sanctuary from Mikael and he was never bored watching Charlotte Petrova.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2**

Charlotte Petrova looked at the man standing in front of her. Lord Niklaus appeared lost in thought but yet was still so dangerous... and attractive. She mentally slapped herself before her thoughts went astray. There was no doubt he could kill her in one second without lifting a single finger. He could simply compel her to take her own life. _Good heavens!_

"Are you thinking about how to kill me?" She boldly asked.

He raised an eyebrow before speaking, "Whatever gave you that idea sweetheart? I'm not yet done with you."

"But I am of no use to you my lord. What would someone like you want from me?"

"Three favors, to be claimed whenever I want. In return, I will not hurt you."

She did not have to ponder long and stretched out her hand so they could shake on it.

In a flash, he was behind her. She felt his hand graze her neck as he pushed her silky hair front such that the back of her neck was exposed. He then leaned over her shoulder and whispered into her ear, "Meet me in the woods near the berry bushes an hour before sunrise tomorrow morning. I trust you to keep this our secret, Charlotte." He kissed the side of her neck and disappeared into thin air.

For a few moments, she stood there, trying to recapture the feel of his touch so that she could save it in her memory. He made her feel things that no one had ever made her feel before. Realizing that it was not like herself and that she had better leave before anyone else found her out, she fled.

When she arrived home, she told her mother she was tired, promising to tell her all about the masquerade in the morning. She would sneak out later to meet Lord Niklaus when her parents were asleep... ...

He did not say a word when they met and simply led her deeper into the woods. The early morning air was chilly and she shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her. She had explored the woods herself before but not at this time. Who knew what dangers lurked ahead? As if reading her thoughts, he offered her his hand. She took it, knowing that she would be safe from any wild beasts with Lord Niklaus by her side. Besides, he seemed to know the woods pretty well. The thought gave her some comfort and she held on tighter to his hand, which evoked an amused smile from him.

They walked on for quite some time. Even though they did not exchange words, his presence alone was enough to reassure her and strangely, she felt comfortable just being with him. They reached a meadow just as the dawn began to break. He started looking for something amid the tall grass and when he found it, he called her over. Pointing to a plant with purple flowers, he asked her if she could identify the plant.

Relieved that this was what he needed her help for, she peered closely at the plant.

"I believe it is _Aconitum_, also what the witches call _wolfsbane_, my lord."

She head him murmur something about the werewolves and them avoiding the meadow.

_Why would he be interested in knowing about the plant though?_

Realization suddenly dawned on her. He probably wanted to take revenge for his step brother's death. She had heard about what happened to little Henrik and how Lord Mikael had forcefully made his family vampires so as to protect them from the werewolves.

It was common knowledge that Lord Niklaus was blamed for his step brother's death. She knew that the two had been close, having often observed them. She had once seen him teach little Henrik how to ride a horse and he had been very patient, rushing to his step brother's side whenever little Henrik fell off the horse. Now, not only did Lord Niklaus have to cope with the grief of losing his step brother but he also had to face his step father's wrath.

Feeling the urge to comfort him, she stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his waist.


End file.
